Schauspielhaus, Berlin. 1856. Gold-toned salted paper print with rounded corners. 15,7 x 22 cm. Mounted to board, titled in pencil below the image on the mount.
Leopold Ahrendts began his career as a painter and lithographer in Dessau, eventually transitioning to photography in the mid-19th century. His photographic oeuvre encompasses urban landscapes and architectural views of Berlin, captured with a keen eye for composition and detail. His noteworthy contributions to the field earned him participation in international photographic exhibitions and widespread recognition as an architectural photographer. – A few light smudge marks, otherwise a rich, tonal print in very good condition.
Lit.: Eberhard Mayer-Wegelin and Sigrid Schulze. Berlin als Residenzstadt: Photographien von Leopold Ahrendts 1854-1870. Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 2018, ill. p. 54.
Sigrid Schulze. "Leopold Ahrendts: Photograph" in: Galerie Berinson, ed. Leopold Ahrendts (1825-1870) und die Frühzeit der Photographie in Berlin. Berlin: Galerie Berinson, 2011, ill. p. 29.
Ahrendts, Leopold
Die Kaiserbrücke / Die Waisenbrücke
Los 4002
Schätzung
1.200€ (US$ 1,333)
Die Kaiserbrücke / Die Waisenbrücke mit Inselspeicher und Mühlendamm. 1853/1856-1857. 2 salted paper prints with rounded corners, mounted to trimmed board. 15,6 x 21,2 cm and 16,7 x 21,2 cm. One print dated “1853” in pencil in lower right corner of mount.
A few scuff marks and minimal foxing in the sky area; one print lightly faded; otherwise strong tonal prints in near excellent condition.
Lit.: Eberhard Mayer-Wegelin and Sigrid Schulze. Berlin als Residenzstadt: Photographien von Leopold Ahrendts 1854-1870. Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 2018, ill. p. 140.
Ahrendts, Leopold
Charlottenburger Chaussee with view of Brandenburg Gate towards Unter den Linden, Berlin
Los 4003
Schätzung
1.200€ (US$ 1,333)
Charlottenburger Chaussee with view of Brandenburg Gate towards Unter den Linden, Berlin. 1856. Gold-toned salted paper print with rounded corners. 19,5 x 16,5 cm. Mounted to board, titled in pencil below the image on the mount.
A few light smudge marks, otherwise a rich, tonal print in very good condition.
Lit.: Eberhard Mayer-Wegelin and Sigrid Schulze. Berlin als Residenzstadt: Photographien von Leopold Ahrendts 1854-1870. Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 2018, ill. p. 131.
Lothar de Maizière and Antonius Jammers (eds.). Bevor Berlin zur Weltstadt wurde: Die Residenz in Fotografien von Leopold Ahrendts. Berlin: Braun, 2001, ill. p. 19.
Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin. 1857-58. Albumen print with rounded corners, mounted to original board. 18,7 x 21,4 cm (27,4 x 32,7 cm).
Corners of the board slightly bumped, with some foxing and smudge marks; a few foxing spots in the sky area of the print, slight silver mirroring in shadow areas, as well as some light scuff marks; otherwise with strong tones and in good condition.
Lit.: Jutta Reinke and Wolfgang Stemmer, eds. Pioniere der Kamera: Das erste Jahrhundert der Fotografie 1840-1900. Die Sammlung Robert Lebeck. Bremen: Fotoforum, 1987, ill. p. 190.
Eberhard Mayer-Wegelin and Sigrid Schulze. Berlin als Residenzstadt: Photographien von Leopold Ahrendts 1854-1870. Munich: Schirmer/Mosel, 2018, ill. p. 134.
Amazonia
Portraits and ethnographical studies of Peru
Los 4005
Schätzung
8.000€ (US$ 8,889)
Photographer: Charles Kroehle (1867-1902) and unknown. Portraits and ethnographic studies of Indigenous people of Peru. 1890s. 25 albumen prints. Circa 14 x 10 cm. 17 signed by C. Kroehle in the negative in lower corners, 2 with photographer’s stamp annotated in pencil on the verso.
Charles Kroehle is regarded as one of the pioneering photographers of the Amazon region. He participated in several expeditions through the Amazon Basin, Ecuador, and Bolivia, producing some of the earliest photographic records of Indigenous communities in these areas. The rare portraits presented here were taken primarily in the Peruvian Amazon and depict members of various Indigenous groups, including the Pirus (Río Pichis), Canelos (Río Pastaza), Múra-Pirahã (Río Pachitea), Huasheri (Río Napo), Campa (Río Palcazu), Cunibo (Río Ucayali), Lorenzo (Río Mayra), Cachivo (Río Pachitea), Chipivas (Río Ucayali), and Cashiva (Chonta Isla, Río Pachitea). These images are among the earliest visual documents of these communities and hold significant ethnographic and historical value.
– Some with creases, a few faded, especially in edges, otherwise most in very good condition and many with strong contrasts.
Lit.: Musée du quai Branly. D’un regard l’Autre: Photographies XIXe siècle. Arles: Actes Sud, 2006, ill. p. 90.
Séverine Charon, ed. L’Amazonie disparue: Indiens et explorateurs 1825-1930. Paris: Réunion des musées nationaux, 2005, ill. pp. 94, 95, 98, 100.
Photographer: Charles Kroehle (1867-1902). Indigenous life in the Peruvian Amazon. 1890s. 7 albumen prints. Each ca. 15 x 22 cm. Some signed “Ch. Kroehle” in the negative in lower margin.
This group of photographs by Charles Kroehle documents daily life and ceremonial practices among Indigenous communities of the Peruvian Amazon, likely the Shipibo or related Panoan-speaking peoples. Included are multi-generational group portraits taken in forest clearings, family scenes before palm-thatched dwellings, and canoeing on the river. Other images depict hunters with spears, women with infants, a crocodile hunting scene showing Indigenous people with Charles Kroehle and Georg Huebner, as well as portraits of men with bow and arrows. Kroehle’s lens combines ethnographic observation with staged composition, offering insight into the colonial encounter and anthropological interests of the late 19th century. – Some fading, especially around the edges, light handling creases and minor surface irregularities, otherwise all in good to very good condition. With: 1 albumen print showing Andean highland people.
Amazonia
Charles Kroehle with Peruvian mummy; Peruvian mummy
Los 4007
Schätzung
1.000€ (US$ 1,111)
Photographer unknown. Charles Kroehle (1867-1902) with Peruvian mummy; Peruvian mummy. 1890s. 2 albumen prints. Each circa 16 x 12 cm.
These two rare photographs depict Charles Kroehle alongside a preserved Peruvian mummy, as well as a separate image of the mummy itself. Likely taken during one of Kroehle’s expeditions in the 1890s, the photographs reflect the 19th-century European fascination with indigenous cultures and archaeological artifacts in South America. – Slightly faded, otherwise in good condition.
View of the Forum Romanum. Circa 1900. Sepia-toned gelatin silver print. 60 x 87 cm. Photographer's blind stamp in lower right corner, framed under glass in contemporary wooden frame (73 x 100 cm).
The son of the pioneering photographer James Anderson, Domenico Anderson continued the business after his father's death and produced many large-format views of Rome. – Some buckling, traces of light soiling/foxing in upper edge, small scuff mark in lower left, otherwise a strong print in very good condition.
Animal studies. 1885-88. 8 albumen prints, 6 mounted to board. Circa 9,5 x 14 cm or reverse and 14,5 x 19,5 cm. Each with photographer’s name, date and location in the negative and/or embossed in lower right/left on board.
The German photographer Ottomar Anschütz was renowned for his advancements in high-speed and motion photography. In the 1880s, he developed fast shutters that captured images at 1/1000th of a second, allowing him to photograph rapid movements with unprecedented clarity. Among his notable works is a series of photographs featuring taxidermied animals in lifelike settings with painted backdrops and props to simulate their natural habitats. These images demonstrate his technical prowess as well as his dedication to blend scientific inquiry with artistic expression. – Mounts time-stained in edges; prints with a few minimal surface scuff marks and slight surface soiling, and minimal fading at the edges; otherwise in good condition.
Equestrian training. 1884. 12 albumen prints. Each circa 14,7 x 19,5 cm. Each with photographer's blind stamp in lower right corner and number in the negative in lower left corner; each with photographer's stamp on the verso.
A striking series depicting a man in the process of training a horse, each image emphasizing the animal’s dynamic movement and muscular tension. The sequence captures subtle shifts in posture and gesture with remarkable clarity, conveying a strong sense of rhythm, control, and physical intensity. – Most with stronger foxing as well as fading in edges, some prints with small tears.
Hôtel de Lusignan - 8 Rue Elzévir. 1901. Albumen print. 21,5 x 17,7 cm. Titled and numbered "4328" by the photographer in pencil on the verso.
Eugène Atget’s photographs of Paris at the turn of the 20th century form a remarkable visual archive of the city’s streets, courtyards, and fading pre-modern architecture. While often devoid of people, his images convey the traces of daily life through storefronts, signage, and the textures of worn cobblestones. These understated urban views, rich in detail and atmosphere, reflect Atget’s quiet yet profound sensitivity to time, place, and memory, and laid the groundwork for modern photographic approaches to the city. Prints of this image are in the collections of the International Center of Photography, New York and the Musée Carnavalet, Paris. – Small crease in lower left margin, some light handling marks, edges slightly uneven; otherwise in good condition.
Hôtel du Prevot - Passage Charlemagne. 1901. Albumen print. 21,6 x 17,8 cm. Titled and numbered "3871" by the photographer in pencil on the verso.
Minimal tear in lower margin, edges slightly uneven, some light handling creases, otherwise in good condition.
Vues de Paris en Photographie. 1855-1860. 26 albumen prints, mounted to album leaves. Each ca. 20 x 27 cm (31,5 x 42,5 cm). Each with the photographer's “E. Baldus” stamp below the image on the mount. Presented in contemporary full-leather folio album with gilt-stamped title “Vues de Paris en Photographie” and the arms of the City of Paris on the front board; spine with raised bands and gilt tooling.
A finely produced album comprising twenty-six large-format albumen prints of Parisian architecture and monuments by Édouard Baldus. Created between 1855 and 1860, at the height of Baldus’s career - when he was widely regarded as France’s leading architectural photographer - the album offers monumental views of Haussmann-era Paris, captured with remarkable clarity and compositional precision. The photographs span medieval, Napoleonic, and Second Empire structures, including Notre-Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, and the Louvre, as well as now-lost landmarks such as the Palais de l’Industrie, the Tuileries Palace, and the old Hôtel de Ville. Elegantly bound in a full leather folio with the gilt-stamped title and arms of the City of Paris, the volume exemplifies Baldus’s mission to preserve France’s architectural heritage while celebrating the modernization of the capital under Napoleon III. Complete and well-preserved examples of such albums are increasingly rare. – Corners of the album slightly bumped; some foxing on the cover page and small holes in the interleaf. A few pages slightly loose, with light foxing and fading, minor scuff marks, and traces of silver mirroring in the shadow areas of some prints; otherwise all prints with strong tones and in near excellent condition.
Views of Egypt. 1860s. 26 albumen prints, mounted to board. Each ca. 26 x 38 cm or reverse (41,5 x 51,5 cm). Each with photographer’s signature in the negative in lower margin and handwritten caption on label below the image on the mount. Presented in canvas clamshell box.
This group of photographs by Antonio Beato offers a representative survey of his early work in Egypt during the 1860s. The images encompass major archaeological and monumental sites along the Nile Valley, including the Pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx, the Temple of Karnak, Medinet Habu, Philae, the Colossi of Memnon, and the rock temples of Abu Simbel. Notably, the selection also features rare views of lesser-photographed locations such as Qurna and detailed studies of sculptural reliefs. Marked by their careful composition, deep tonal richness, and atmospheric clarity, Beato’s photographs stand among the most enduring visual documents of Egypt’s ancient architecture in the 19th century. – Some buckling of the mounts; scuff marks and traces of writing from the verso faintly visible through the recto. Otherwise, all in good to very good condition.
Lit.: Ferri, Antonio, ed. Il fotografo dei faraoni: Antonio Beato in Egitto 1860-1905. Bologna: Pendragon, 2008.
Reclining nude. Circa 1858. Albumen print on board. 14,6 x 19,2 cm (16,4 x 21,5 cm). With number "34" etched into negative.
Auguste Belloc began his career as a painter of miniatures and watercolors before turning to photography, where he quickly gained recognition for his mastery of the daguerreotype and contributions to early color stereoscopy. He later became known for his poetic nude studies, which combined classical aesthetics with technical finesse. Today, his work is held in major international collections, including the Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. A variant of this print is held in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York. – Some irregularities in the emulsion, some signs of retouching, a few light scuff marks; otherwise in good condition.
Views of Constantinople. 1870s-1890s. 16 albumen prints, mounted to boards. Each ca. 21 x 27 cm (31,5 x 39,5 cm) or reverse. All but one with titled negative number and photographer’s name “G. Berggren” in the negative in the lower margin.
A rich and varied group of late 19th-century views of Constantinople by the Swedish-born photographer Guillaume Berggren, who established one of the most successful studios in the city. The photographs include wide city panoramas and detailed views of key landmarks such as the Hagia Sophia, Dolmabahçe Palace, the Galata Bridge, and the city walls, as well as animated scenes of everyday life along the Bosphorus. Among them is a striking image of a large military formation assembled in front of the Nusretiye Mosque, offering a rare glimpse into the ceremonial practices of the Ottoman Empire. Characterized by strong compositions and crisp detail, Berggren’s images reflect both documentary precision and an eye for atmospheric and architectural nuance. – Some fading and light scuff marks on some prints as well as age stains on one print, otherwise all in good to very good condition.
Panorama de Constantinople. 1880s. Panorama comprising 8 albumen prints. Each circa 22 x 16 cm (entire size circa. 22 x 134 cm). Mounted to original boards, joined at the folds with linen tape, housed in the original burgundy half-leather and canvas portfolio with embossed title and ornamentation. With unidentified dedication in ink on rear endpaper.
Taken from an elevated vantage point in Galata - likely near or from the Galata Tower - this carefully sequenced panorama forms a sweeping vista of the city’s historic waterfront. Landmarks such as the Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Süleymaniye Mosque, Yeni Cami, Nuruosmaniye Mosque, and the distant Beyazit Tower appear in rich architectural detail, along with the shoreline of the Bosphorus and the densely layered urban fabric of the old city. – Boards slightly toned; portfolio slightly faded and worn. Some prints slightly faded in edges, some soiling in sky area, otherwise in good condition.
Photographer: Otto Raschdorff (1854-1917). Panorama von Berlin. Circa 1903. Panorama consisting of 10 collodion paper prints, mounted to original boards. Each circa 23 x 28,5 cm (entire size 23 x 286 cm). Joined at the folds with linen tape, with marbled front endpapers, housed in the original gray canvas portfolio with gilt-stamped title and ornamentation.
An unusually large panoramic view of Berlin, taken from the Neuer Dom while still under construction, as evidenced by the visible scaffolding. The sweeping vista captures the urban fabric of the rapidly expanding imperial capital in the early 20th century. Minor misalignments at the print joins result in some architectural elements appearing twice, but the overall visual impact remains cohesive and striking. This rare, elevated perspective offers a compelling document of Berlin’s evolving skyline at the height of its Wilhelmine development. – Boards slightly toned in edges, some soiling at end; portfolio slightly soiled and edges rubbed. Prints with some small spots in sky area, one with small ink mark in sky area, some surface rubbing, otherwise in good condition with strong contrasts.
Photographers: Marc Ferrez (1843-1923), Augusto Riedel (1836-1877), and others. Views of Brazil. 1860s-1880s. 10 albumen prints, mounted to board. Each between 14,5 x 21,5 cm and 19 x 25,5 cm (26,3 x 33,2 cm) or reverse. Most annotated in pencil on the mount; some with captions and dates in black ink on the mount.
This group of photographs includes sweeping views of Rio de Janeiro with landmarks such as Sugarloaf Mountain, the Candelária Church, and Rua do Ouvidor; views of Salvador and its hillside architecture; scenes from the province of Minas Gerais with farm buildings and mule trains; as well as botanical gardens, waterfalls, and bustling port towns. – Some prints slightly faded along the edges with scuff-marks and light surface irregularities; otherwise most with rich tonal range in good to very good condition.
Carrick, William
Portraits of Russian military officers, monks, pilgrims and farmers
Los 4020
Schätzung
1.200€ (US$ 1,333)
Portraits of Russian military officers, monks, pilgrims, street sellers, craftsmen, nuns, farmers and ethnic types. 1860s. 48 albumen prints, mounted to original studio carte-de-visite. Each circa 8,5 x 5,5 cm. Each with photographer’s name printed below the image; verso with studio logo and address. Inserted in gilt-edged album window mats, each captioned and numbered in red ink beneath the image. Bound in half-leather lacquered album with a hand-painted genre scene on the front cover.
The Scottish-Russian artist and photographer William Carrick was born in Edinburgh and raised in Kronstadt. In 1844, his family moved to St. Petersburg, where he enrolled at the Imperial Academy of Arts to study architecture. During a brief return to Edinburgh in 1857 to deepen his knowledge of photography, Carrick met the photographic technician John MacGregor. The two returned to Russia together and established a studio in St. Petersburg, with MacGregor serving as Carrick’s assistant. Carrick quickly emerged as a pioneering photographer of Russian ethnographic subjects, documenting rural life with notable humanity and sensitivity. In 1871, the pair undertook a month-long journey through the Simbirsk province, producing a remarkable series of photographs depicting Russian and Mordovian peasants. Popular with contemporary tourists, these images are now exceptionally rare. The album presented here opens with portraits of Tsar Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna. – Edges of album spine slightly rubbed, photos with slight fading in edges, otherwise in good condition and several with strong contrasts.
Ceylon
Sinhalese temple dancers, chiefs, monks, craftsmen, and street performers
Los 4021
Schätzung
500€ (US$ 556)
Photographer: J.D. Herbert (active ca. 1860-1885). Sinhalese temple dancers, chiefs, monks, craftsmen, and street performers. 1870s-1880s. 10 albumen stereoviews, mounted to yellow card stock. Each ca. 8,5 x 17,5 cm. With photographer’s studio stamp on the verso.
This group of stereoscopic photographs by J. D. Herbert offers a vivid and detailed visual survey of Sinhalese cultural and social life in late 19th-century Ceylon. Among the subjects are Kandyan dancers in elaborate ceremonial attire, Buddhist monks shown both seated beneath a ritual parasol and standing in formal pose, and temple musicians with traditional drums. Also featured are Tamil plantation workers and two snake charmers with live pythons and wind instruments. Seated portraits of high-ranking Sinhalese chiefs in traditional dress reflect the colonial fascination with indigenous elites. Carefully composed against painted or natural backdrops, the images blend ethnographic observation with the staged conventions of colonial photography. – Some scuff marks, some soiling and foxing of mounts, otherwise in very good condition.
Photographers: Skeen & Co. (active ca. 1860-1890), Scowen & Co. (active ca. 1870-1890), and unknown. Portraits of Tamil dignitaries and Ceylonese subjects. 1880s. 5 albumen prints, some mounted to boards. Between 21 x 26 cm and 30,5 x 21,5 cm. Some with handwritten captions in pencil, one with the photographer’s studio information in the negative in lower margin.
This group features five portraits taken in colonial Ceylon during the late 19th century, depicting a range of individuals from different social backgrounds. Among them are Tamil dignitaries in formal attire, a woman adorned with traditional jewelry and textiles, and a Sinhalese chief from Kandy. The remaining portraits show locals in simpler dress, photographed in informal outdoor settings. – Some fading, some creases and pressure marks, otherwise all in good condition.
Photographers: Joseph Lawton (active ca. 1870-1900), Scowen & Co. (active ca. 1870-1890), C.A. & C. (active ca. 1880-1900), and unknown. Scenes and portraits from colonial Ceylon. 1880s-1890s. 5 albumen prints and 1 collodion print. Each ca. 22 x 28 cm. Some with the photographer's studio information in the negative in lower margin.
A varied group of images documenting late 19th-century Ceylon under British rule. Subjects include a Kandyan royal entourage, Tamil women seated by a stone wall, a European overseer with plantation workers, and a lively street in Colombo. Architectural views feature the Grand Oriental Hotel, Colombo harbor with anchored ships, and the Jetavanaramaya stupa at Anuradhapura. – Some fading, especially around the edges, some handling creases, otherwise all in good to very good condition.
Photographer: Skeen & Co. (active ca. 1860-1890), Scowen & Co. (active ca. 1870-1890). Views of Ceylon. 1880s. 12 albumen prints, mounted to boards. Each between 21 x 27,5 cm (22,5 x 29,5 cm) and 21,5 x 28 cm (25 x 31,5 cm). Some with the photographer's studio information in negative in lower margin.
This group of photographs offers a vivid visual record of late 19th-century Ceylon under British colonial rule. The images range from tea plantations with Tamil laborers harvesting leaves to bathing scenes at a stepped dam and architectural views of Colombo and Kandy, including temples, riverbanks, and the harbor. Also shown are scenes of daily life, such as villagers in front of a thatched house, a mahout with his elephant, and carts passing beneath towering banyan trees. – Some fading, especially around the edges, some scuff marks and handling creases, small tear on mount of one print, otherwise all in good condition.
Photographers: William Saunders (1832-1892), Henry Cammidge (active ca. 1880-1910), and unknown. Views of Shanghai. 1870s-1900s. 9 albumen prints. Each between 19,5 x 25,5 cm and 22 x 28 cm. Some annotated in the negative or in pencil on the verso.
This group of photographs offers a richly detailed visual record of Shanghai from the 1880s to the early 1900s. Included are views of the Bund with its colonial-era architecture, the Garden Bridge spanning Suzhou Creek, and the entrance gate to the Yu Garden. Additional images depict the Willow Pattern Tea House, the Tian Fei Gong temple, bustling scenes along Nanjing Road, and traditional canal-side dwellings. Together, the photographs reflect the city’s architectural diversity and dynamic urban landscape at a time of rapid modernization shaped by both Chinese tradition and foreign commercial influence. – Some fading, especially around the edges of the prints; small tears, creases, and pressure marks; otherwise all in good to very good condition.
Photographer unknown. Views of Beijing and Shanghai. 1870s-1880s. 15 albumen prints, mounted to board. Each ca. 21,5 x 27 cm (32,5 x 44 cm). Captioned in blue ink below the image on the mount.
This selection of photographs provides a visual record of Beijing and Shanghai in the late 19th century. The Beijing scenes include the Temple of Heaven, distant views of the Forbidden City, and stretches of the city walls with their monumental gates. In Shanghai, the images show the Bund, walled compounds, commercial buildings along the canals, and everyday street activity, offering insight into urban life during the Qing dynasty. – Some fading, especially along edges of prints, some light scuff marks, otherwise in near excellent condition.
Photographers: Lai Afong (ca. 1839-1890), Pun Lun Studio (active ca. 1864-1907), and unknown. Views of Hong Kong. 1880s. 11 albumen prints. Each between 19,5 x 25,5 cm and 21,5 x 27,5 cm. Some annotated in pencil on the verso.
This remarkable group of photographs captures main sites of colonial-era Hong Kong in the late 19th century, including Victoria Harbour, Queen’s Road Central, St. John’s Cathedral, the Zoological and Botanical Gardens, as well as the iconic stone steps of Pottinger Street with sedan chair and rickshaw bearers. Finely rendered in tone and detail, the prints exemplify the technical and compositional refinement of Lai Afong and Pun Lun - two of the most important studios active in Hong Kong at the time. – Some prints slightly faded, some with handling creases and small tears, otherwise all in good to very good condition.
Photographers: Lai Afong (1839-1890), Sze Yuen Ming & Co. (active ca. 1870-1910), and unknown. Views of Southern China. 1880s-1900s. 15 albumen prints, mounted to board. Each ca. 26,5 x 21 cm or reverse (38,5 x 31 cm). Some annotated in ink below the image on the mount.
Taken across several locations in southern China, this group includes views and portraits likely made in and around Canton (Guangzhou), Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Macau in the late 19th century. The photographs depict pagodas, temple grounds, stone bridges, the Willow Pattern Tea House, Tianfei Gong temple, and streets such as Queen’s Road and Boone Road. Also featured are village scenes, harbor areas, and studio portraits of Chinese women and girls in traditional dress, some with bound feet. – Some fading, foxing, and discoloration on some prints; some scuff marks; otherwise all in good to very good condition.
Courret Hermanos
Souvenirs de l'Ile Tahiti et des Marquises
Los 4029
Schätzung
5.000€ (US$ 5,556)
Souvenirs de l’Ile Tahiti et des Marquises. 1863. 21 albumen prints, mounted to album pages. Each ca. 11 x 15,5 cm or reverse (22 x 29 cm). Each with “Courret Hermanos Fotógrafos Calle Mercaderes 197, Lima” blind stamp on the mount, annotated in black ink below the image. Bound in green half-leather album with gilt-stamped title "Souvenirs de l’Ile Tahiti et des Marquises" in rhombus cartouche on front cover. Housed in a custom clamshell box covered in green faux-leather with mounted printed title label bordered by four diamond-shaped wooden inlays (entire size 30 x 41 cm).
Compiled shortly after the founding of the Courret Hermanos studio in Lima in March 1863 by French-born brothers Hippolyte and Eugène Courret, this rare album presents one of the earliest photographic surveys of Tahiti and the Marquesas Islands. Within months of establishing their studio, the brothers embarked on an expedition to the South Pacific, arriving in Tahiti in September that same year. Their photographs strike a balance between studio-style portraiture and documentary views, capturing full-length images of Tahitian and Marquesan men and women - some in traditional dress, others in Western attire - as well as expansive scenes of Papeete’s streets, including the royal palace of Queen Pōmare IV, the colonial hospital, and Rue de Rivoli. Views from Nuku Hiva include Taiohae’s government buildings and Fort Collet. Marked by formal clarity and ethnographic detail, the album documents a pivotal moment in the colonial transformation of French Polynesia, as seen through the lens of recently arrived French photographers working far beyond their Lima base. – Album cover with some scuff marks, stains, and wear to edges and corners. Inner mounts with smudge marks, small tears, and edge wear. Some prints with some small surface irregularities and slight fading, particularly around the edges. Overall in good condition, with a strong tonal range preserved across most images. With: 7 carte-de-visite portraits of Tahitians.
Photographer: Albert Sands Southworth (1811-1894) and Josiah Johnson Hawes (1808-1901). Portrait of a woman. Mid-1850s. Quarter plate, slightly tinted daguerreotype in leather case. 9 x 7 cm (11,5 x 10 cm).
Southworth & Hawes, the pioneering Boston-based daguerreotype partnership of Albert Sands Southworth and Josiah Johnson Hawes, set new standards for photographic portraiture in mid-19th-century America. Renowned for their refined lighting, elegant compositions, and ability to capture psychological depth, their portraits reflect a rare fusion of technical mastery and artistic sensibility. Today, their work is considered among the finest achievements of the daguerreotype era. – Case with scratches, slight oxidation in edges, slightly stronger in left and lower edge, some spots on cover glass, otherwise in good condition.
Lit.: Brian Wallis, Grant B. Romer, eds. Young America: The Daguerreotypes of Southworth & Hawes. Göttingen: Steidl, compare ill. p. 1555 and 1556 for images featuring the same chair.
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Galerie Bassenge
Erdener Str. 5A
14193 Berlin
Öffnungszeiten:
Montag bis Donnerstag, 10–18 Uhr,
Freitag, 10–16 Uhr
Telefon: +49 30 8938029-0
Fax: +49 30 8918025
E-Mail: info (at) bassenge.com
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© 2024 Galerie Gerda Bassenge
Galerie Bassenge
Erdener Str. 5A
14193 Berlin
Öffnungszeiten:
Montag bis Donnerstag, 10–18 Uhr,
Freitag, 10–16 Uhr
Telefon: +49 30 8938029-0
Fax: +49 30 8918025
E-Mail: info (at) bassenge.com
Impressum
Datenschutzerklärung
© 2022 Galerie Gerda Bassenge